CDC finds diet drink consumption on the rise

According to USA Today, diet drink consumption in the United States has increased over the past decade. “The data suggest that diet drinks may have replaced sugar drinks during this time,” said the study’s lead author Tala Fakhouri, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The new diet drink analysis shows that the change in diet drink consumption occurred for both women (up from 18% in 2000 to 21% in 2010) and men (up from 14% to 19% in the same period). Still, only about 20% of people in the United States consume diet drinks on any given day with the majority (80%) not drinking them, the report finds. Diet drinks included calorie-free and low-calorie versions of soda, fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and carbonated water. Diet drinks did not include unsweetened teas or coffees or 100% fruit juice.

Meanwhile, the consumption of sugar found in regular soda has dropped from roughly 150 calories a day in 2000 to 91 calories a day in 2008. But when it comes to calories from all sugary drinks, including sodas, fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and sweetened bottled waters, males consume an average of 178 calories a day; females consume 103 calories, according to other government data.